Car door



GERGE DNAH'E, 0F HYDE FARE,

Oli' LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR IDOQR.

.ineaaoo Application led September 13', 1910, Serial No. 581,851.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE DONAHUE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hyde Park, in the county of Norfolk7 State of liiassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Car Doors, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying' drawings7 is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts. y l

This invention 'relates to doors and more particularly to trap' doors such, for example, as are used to cover the space above the steps leading to the vestibules of passenger cars.

Frequently, the platform of a. stat-ion is on a level with the iioor of the vestibule. Tn such cases the trap door covering the steps is used to bridge the space above the steps extendingfrom the vestibule floor to the side of the car. There is, however, always a space between the car and the adjacent edge of the station platform. This space is verydangerA ous and objectionable since passengers onv train are liable to make a mis-step into said space and be in@ boarding or leaving the jured thereby. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a trap door which will effectually bridge the space between the side of the car and platform and thereby eliminate the danger referred to.

The character of theinvention may be best understood. by reference to the following description ofan illustrative embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein.:

vFig. 1 a plan of a portion of an end of a. car showing a vestibule equipped with doors embodying my invention;V

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

F ig. 3 is a section taken on line Fig. 1; Y

Fig. l on an enlarged scale is a detail of a control device for the door;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4L; and l Fig. 6 is a transverse section Ataken on line 6 6 of F ig. 5. n

Referring to the drawings,` 1 represents an end of acar havingy a vertical wall 2 and a vestibule platform 3 extending from the Specification of 'Letters Patent.

Renewed December 26, 1919. Serial No, 347,634.

end wall 2 to the end of the car and supported by beams 5 and? extending the width of the car and sills 9 extending longitudinally of the car. At the opposite ends of the vestibule platform 3 are the usual steps 11.

To cover or bridge over the spaces extending from the edge of the platform tothe side of the car above the steps 11 there may be provided trap doors 18 adapted to be tilted from a vertical position extendingparallel to the end wall of the car, as shown' at the right of F ig. 1, down to a horizontal position to bridge the space above the car steps7 as shown at t-he left of Fig. 1.

One of the important features of the inv vention consists yin the provision of means the door in the cause aportion for automatically sliding direction of its plane to thereof to project beyond'the sideof the car to bridge theuspace referred to between the side'of the car and the `edge kof a station platform. To this end each door is secured fast to a shaft 15 as byy brackets 17 secured to the under side of said door `and apertured to receive v said shaft (Fig. 3). vThe'shaft 15 is journaled in bearings 19 conveniently secured lto the beam 7 referred to.

The shaft 15 is extended beyond the inner edge of the door 13 into a bearing or sleeve 21 somewhat larger than said shaft, the latter being journaled in a collar 22 ,contained within'said sleeve and secured thereto. At a point spaced fromthecollar 22 the shaft 15 is provided with a flange 23 fast thereon having a rotative and sliding iit in said sleeve 2l. This sleeve may be conveniently secured by ears 24 tothe beam 7 referred to, the sill 9 having a portioncut away to receive Vsaid sleeve, as shown in Fig. 2. To shift `the shaft l5 axially to cause the door to extend beyond the side of the car and bridge the space between'the latter and the station platform the sleeve 21k is provided with acam slot 25 kpreferably Aof lsinuous forni and having a very slight pitch relative to the axis of said (sleeve, said slot being adapted to receive a pin 27, herein pro-l jecting from the shaft flange 23 and pref.- erably provided with a friction reducing roller 29. In some instances it may be desirable to provide said sleeve with a second Patented July 18, 1222.

slot 31 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, which may be similar to the slot 25 described and may receive a roller 33 and a pin which may conveniently be a continuation of the pin 27 referred to.

1n operation when the door 13 is in its up or vertical position the pin 27 will be at the right end of the slot 25 (Fig. 4). Vshen the door 13 is tilted down to a horizontal position the pin 27 will follow through the cam slot Q5 and thereby shift the shaft 15 axially to the left of Fig. 4 and cause the door to project beyond the side of the car. The engagement of the follower roller 29 with the ends of the slot 25 may to limit the movements i. of the vdoor 13 although other stop means may be used, if desired. i

The door when in its up position may overlap the edge portion of the vestibule platform somewhat, but when in its down tilted position, the edge of the door` may rest on a ledge 34 (Fig. 2) of said yplatform thereby bringing the surface of the door on a level with said platform. i 'f i To tend to maintain the door in its up or vertical position and counterbalance `the effect of gravity thereon,` the shaft 15 may be extended to the right of'Fig. 4 beyond the sleeve 2l and be provided with Va tension device herein in the lform of a helical spring 35 encircling the shaft 15 and having one end abutting the collar 22 referred to and its opposite end abutting the end of a casing 39 secured to the shaft 15 by a nut 41 and adapted to slide along the exterior of the sleeve 21.` shifted to the left of Fig. 5 as on the tilting of thedoor 13 from its vertical to its horizontal position the spring 35 will be compressed against the shoulder 37 and the energy previously stored in said spring will tend to return and maintain the door in its up position. To hold the door in its down position a spring pressed latch 42y may be provided which will automatically loclr the door in its down position. Then this latch is released the door will spring up sufficiently above the level of form to permit it to be grasped and tilted up to its vertical position, said spring contributing to this movement. `To hold the door in its up position a spring catch 43 (Fig. 2) may be provided if desired.

By my invention it is not necessary to give `the door a separate manual movement in order to slide it outwardly beyond the edge of the car to bridge the space between the latter andthe station platformbut, on the contrary, this movement is effected entirely automatically as an incident to the rocking of the door from its vertical to its horizontal position. By the device described a considerable amountof shifting movement of the door sucientV for the purpose debe utilizedl Y "When the shaft 15 is the vestibule plat-A sired is had merely by the tilting of the door through an angle of 90o.

The device is simple in construction and operation, will not get out of repair and requires no other attention than an occasional oiling. Furthermore, the device is extremely compact and occupies a very small amount of space and is concealed from view be- .neath the vestibule platform.

Vihile l have described my invention for purposes of illustration in connection ,with a car, it will be understood thatit has other fields of application.

Having described one embodiment of the invention, without limiting myself thereto, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a car platform, of steps leading therefrom, a swinging treaddoor for bridging-a space above said steps between said car platform and a station platform, a horizontal hinge for said tread door, and means outside of said space to shift said door to and from its active bridging position.

rfhe combination with a car platform, of a swinging tread door `for bridging the spa e between said car platform and a station platform, a horizontal hinge for said tread door, and means outside of` said space toshift said door to and from its active bridging position.` A

3. rlhe combination with a car platform, of a' swinging tread door for bridging the space between said car platformV and a station platform, a horizontal hinge for saidA tread door, and means located beneath the car platform to shift said door to and from itsyective bridging position. f

4. The combination with a car platform of tread door 13 for bridging the space between saidcar platform and a station platform, a shaft 15 connected to said door, and means 21, 25, 27, 29 located outside of said space for sl'iifting said sh aft axially to adjust said door to and from its active bridging position.

The combination with a car platform, of` a tread door for bridging the space be-4 tween d car platform and a station platform, ashaft connected to said door, a sleeve receiving a portion ofsaid shaft, and means within said sleeve cooperating with said shaft to shift said door to and fromits active bridging position.

6; The Vcombination with a car platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car'platform and astation platform, and means to shift said'door to and from its active bridging position comprising a sleeve haiving a cam. slot therein and a shaft connected to saiddoor, projecting into said sleeve and having an' element workino` in said cam slot.

. The combination with a car platform therein, a shaft in said of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including a sleeve having cam slots therein and a shaft having elements working in said slots.

8. The combination with a car' platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including a sleeve having a cam slot, a shaft having an element projecting into said cam slot and a roller on said element working in said cam slot. f

9. The combination with a car platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform alnd a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including telescoping members and cam means for causing one to move axially of the other.

10. rlhe combination with a car platform of al tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including telescoping members, one connected to said door and the other connected to the car, and cam means for shifting said door member axially of the other member.

11. The combination with a car platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including telescoping members, cam means for shift ing one of said membersl in one direction,

and spring means cooperating with said cam means to shift said member in the opposite direction.

12. The combination with a car platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including a shaft connected to said door, a sleeve having a cam slottherein, an element on said, shaft kworking in said slot, and a coil spring tending to shift said element toward one end of said slot.

13. The combination with a car of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including a sleeve h-aving a cam slot and a bearing bearing having an platform element working in said slot, and a coil spring'encircling said shaft and reacting against said bearing for urging said element toward one end of said slot.

14. The combination with a car platform of a tread door for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, and means to shift said door to and from its active bridging position including al sleeve having a cam slot therein, and a shaft having an element working in said slot, the extent of movement of the door being determined by the length of said slot.

15. The combination with a car platform 3, of a tread door 13 for bridging the space between said car platform and a station platform, a bearing 19 secured to the car, a sleeve 21 secured to said car and having a cam slot 25 therein, and a shaft 15 jourf naled in said bearing and sleeve and having an element 29 working in said slot. v

16. The combination with a car platform, of steps leading therefrom, a tread door for bridging thenspace above said steps between said car platform and a station platform, and cam means for automatically shifting said door to its active bridging position as it is rocked down to the plane of said car platform and for automatically withdrawing said door vfrom said position as it is rocked from the plane of said platform.

17. A combination with a car platform of steps leading therefrom, bridging means for bridging a space between said car platform and a station platform, a pivot for said bridging means and means operatively con-' nected to said pivot and outside of the space above said steps to shift said bridging means to and from its active bridging position.

V18. A combination with a car platform of steps leading therefrom, bridging means constructed to be projected laterally from the car body toward an adjoining station platform to bridge a spacebetween the same, a pivot for said bridging means and means operatively connected to said pivot removed from the space above said steps and out of contact with the person or clothing of a passenger using said steps to project and withdraw said from active bridging position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE DONAHUE.y lVitnesses HENRY T. WILLIAMS, Evnnnrr Gr. EMERY.

bridging means into and 

